Thoughts of Death Dancing in My Head
by UltimateGotenFan
Summary: Kid Buu has been destroyed but despite being revived, Goten's experience with death continues to haunt him in his nightmares. What makes it even worse is the one he sees in his nightmares who delivers him into death's hands. Nightmares never last forever.


**Author's Note:** Here's another one shot. Later this week I'm going to be posting two new stories that will be multiple chapters long. This story though takes place after the defeat of Kid Buu and tells about little Goten's feelings toward his father. Enjoy and as always review and comment.

The universe was once again at peace and it's citizens were able to continue living their lives in peace. The Other World had returned to peace as well. The spirits of the deceased were able to continue spending the rest of eternity in the safety of Planet Heaven, the sacred planet reserved so that bodiless and defenseless spirits could be protected and remain at peace there. With Buu dead everything had returned to normal.

Except for little Goten. Peace had not yet returned to the small saiyan. Every night since he was revived he had been having nightmares. That's right, the seven year old had been killed at a young age. The same pink demon who he had watched kill his mother was also the one who killed him, his brother, best friend, and one of his mentors along with the Earth in one attack. Of course it was unfair for someone so young to have to taste that cold sting that is only felt when you feel your spirit leave your body upon death.

Of course the young child was resurrected along with all of Buu's victims, thanks to the Dragon Balls. Still though, death was the worst thing Goten had ever felt. That feeling had been haunting him since he was revived. Piccolo and Gohan seemed to recover from it quickly, and surprisingly Trunks did as well. But Goten wasn't as old as Piccolo or Gohan and he wasn't as strong as Trunks. Unlike them, Goten was really affected by the feeling of death. So much so that he began to fear death to the point that he had started just staying in the house, believing he was safe from death in his home.

What made things even worse was that Goten never had to die in the first place. His death could have very well been prevented had his father only tried to save him. Goku surely had enough time before Majin Buu's attack destroyed the Earth that he could have grabbed him and his unconscious brother and friend. Goten had to be honest, he felt resentment toward his dad for what he did, for making the choice he did. And this is where the subject of his nightmare arose from.

Goten's nightmares were always about him dying again and his death was always brought about by the same person. A person that no child should ever have to fear.

**GOTEN'S CURRENT NIGHTMARE:**

_Goten found himself outside his house at dusk. There was a metal barrel filled with water and a fire underneath that warmed him bath water. Goten stripped into his swimming trunks and jumped into the relaxing water. Feeling at peace the innocent boy closed his eyes as the lightning bugs came out to play and the crickets began to sing their songs. Right now this little saiyan was perfectly happy without a care in the world, just like a child should be._

_Then he felt a familiar presence. His father's shadow was cast across the water. He looked up to see his daddy standing at the edge of the barrel looking down at him._

_"Hi daddy! You want to take a bath too?" Goten asked._

_He took notice of the emotionless gaze in his dad's eyes. The cold stare which was uncommon and unnatural for someone as kind as his dad, it sent chills down Goten's spine. The little boy was frightened by his father._

_"Daddy…what's wrong? Are you sick? Did I do something wrong? Am I in trouble?" Goten asked in a shaken tone._

_Without a word Goku grabbed his son's shoulders and plunged the child into the water. Goten was taken by surprised. He kicked and thrashed about trying to get his head above the surface but his dad was simply too strong. Goten transformed into a super saiyan but it wasn't enough because Goku quickly went super saiyan 2 and easily overpowered his son._

_Goten could himself losing control, he wasn't going to be able to hold his breath much longer. He made desperate whimpers in a last ditch plea to his father. This seemed to only make things worse as Goku sent his energy into the water causing the temperature to rise greatly. Goten could feel his body being cooked alive in the boiling hot water. He reached his little arms up and grabbed his father's arm trying to make his dad stop._

_For a moment it seemed to work as he felt himself being pulled out of the water. Goten sucked in a big gulp of air and started crying in both pain and fear._

_"Daddy, why did you do that! You hurt me…You really hurt me!" Goten cried._

_Goku let go of his son and then quickly wrapped his arms around him. He tightened his hold and began to squeeze the life out of Goten._

_Goten's eyes widened and his lungs desperately tried to get air. The child began heaving and trying his hardest to breath. He looked into his father's eyes with a gaze that kept asking why this was happening and what did he do to make his father want to kill him._

_With his final breath Goten felt his body shut down and then everything went black as the pain stopped. In moments he felt a surge of cold air brush against his soul. The connection between his body and soul became severed. All he felt was a cold painful sting that made would have made his stomach turn if he was still alive. The sting seem to last for an hour even though it was only a few minutes, and then his soul lifted from his body._

_Goten's spirit was now floating above his body. As he felt himself being lifted up to the Other World, the last thing he saw of this world was his father throwing his now lifeless body aside like he had meant absolutely nothing to his own father. Sadness consumed his heart as he felt the Other World take his spirit._

**END OF NIGHTMARE**

Goten almost jumped out of his bed. He was breathing heavy and felt beads of sweat make their way down his face. Goten placed his hand over his chest where his heart would be, it was beating so fast.

"Another nightmare…just like the ones before." Goten said as he realized it was all a bad dream.

He sat there for a few moments trying to calm down, "Maybe I should talk to mommy about this…she always knows what to do. Or maybe Gohan, he's smart. Videl always knows how to cheer me up."

Goten got out of bed and sighed, "I haven't had a peaceful night of sleep for about a week now. I have to do something to make this stop." Goten heard his tummy growl, "I'm hungry. I wouldn't mind having a bowl of raviolis right now." He said with a slight smile.

Goten sneaked downstairs and warmed up a bowl of raviolis in the microwave. As he sat at the kitchen table eating his late night snack he wondered if he would ever have another peaceful night of sleep. His eyes felt so heavy, all he wanted to do was finish his food and fall asleep but he knew another nightmare would be waiting for him. So he forced himself to stay awake. He kept looking at his bowl of raviolis until an idea hit him.

"Of course! If I use the dragon balls to make myself immortal then I wont have to fear death because I can never die. If I'm not afraid to die then I wont have bad dreams!" Goten said with glee.

He jumped up in excitement and gulp down his raviolis quickly. He ran upstairs and stopped in front of his parent's bedroom door. He slowly opened the door and tip toed toward the desk next to his parent's bed. He had to control his laughter when he heard his father's loud snoring, but any laughter that was hiding in the young saiyan disappeared when he saw his father's face and recalled all the nightmares he had been having. Goten slowly opened the desk and found the 4 star dragon ball and a dragon radar which Bulma gave to Goku long ago.

He took the items and hid them in his pockets. He slowly closed the desk and began making his way out of the bedroom. He froze when he heard a voice coming from behind.

"Goten?" Goku asked as he opened his eyes.

"Y..yes daddy?" Goten asked back.

"Why are you taking the dragon ball and radar?" Goku asked.

Goten lowered his head, "So you were awake the whole time. Well…I want to summon Shenron and ask him to make me immortal."

Goku looked surprised, "Son, you know that is a misuse of their power. The dragon balls are meant to be used for selfless wishes."

"But I'm afraid to die, daddy." Goten answered as his little eyes filled with tears.

Goku felt concerned now. He got out of bed and kneeled behind his son, placing his hand on the boy's shoulder, "Why would someone as young as you be afraid of death?"

Goten recalled the horrible feeling his first death brought him, "Because Buu killed me once before and it was the most horrible feeling ever."

Goku couldn't deny that. He had felt that feeling too twice now. "I know…it is a sickening feeling. It's really scary. I can only imagine what it must have been like for someone as young as you to have gone through that."

Goten felt a twinge of anger, "I didn't have to die you know. You let me die." Goten covered his mouth almost as soon as he said that.

Goku looked shocked, "Goten…you're mad at me for what I did." Goku looked down in shame.

"I didn't want Dende or Mr. Hercule and the puppy to die either, but surely you had enough time to save them and us too." Goten said.

Goku nodded and felt a rush of guilt fill him, "You're right. I did have enough time. I just panicked. I was afraid and I guess I let my fear get to me so much that I…" Goku put his arms around Goten and cried, "I'm sorry…I'm not going to pretend like I've been the perfect father. I've failed both you and Gohan multiple times. You have every right to hate me for what I did. I wouldn't blame you if you did."

Goten felt himself relax when his father's arms embraced him. Suddenly he wasn't afraid of his dad, but now he felt safe. Maybe all Goten needed was to hear his father apologize and recognize his mistakes. To know that he mattered and was loved by his dad.

Goten turned around and hugged Goku, "It's okay daddy….I don't hate you. I love you so much daddy. For seven years I wanted to have you hold me, I wanted you here with me…I'm not going to waste anymore time feeling mad at you….You're my daddy and I know you're not perfect but….I know you'll always love me and that's what matters."

Goku smiled, "Goten…my little boy, I'm so proud of you. When you were born I looked down from Other World and from that moment on I wanted to hold you so much. I love you my son."

That night Goku tucked his son into bed. Goten never had another bad dream about dying or his father. In fact that night Goten had a good dream. In his dream he had died but it was of old age. His spirit reunited with his father's spirit in the other world, and on Planet Heaven Goten took on his younger appearance and a father held his son in paradise, never to be separated again.


End file.
